However, some users who have successfully installed Mango on their phones have been reporting various problems when trying to use their phones with Office 365 (and particularly the SharePoint Online component of the suite), as well as with Exchange Server 2003. There are threads on Microsoft support forums with reports from users encountering these problems.

The Office 365-Mango access issues have been ongoing since the end of September. Some Mango Windows Phone users are reporting they cannot access Office 365 (especially those with the "P" plan, or small-business plan, it seems) from their Windows Phones once they upgrade to Mango. Others are saying the issue is limited to problems with accessing SharePoint Online from their Windows Phones.

A Microsoft spokesperson said on October 13 that “We’re aware that a small number of customers in a specific configuration are experiencing issues setting up Office Hub on Windows Phone 7 (Mango). We’re actively investigating the issue and will provide updates as they become available.”

I have heard from one of my contacts that Microsoft is about to start its Q4 update to Office 365 and SharePoint Online in a week or so. That update will provide "official" support and HTTP connectivity for enterprise and small-business Office 365 customers enabling them to access SharePoint Online lists and document libraries from their Windows Phones running Mango. So perhaps that will remedy some of the Office 365 Mango access issues....

If and when the Softies share more on either of these matters, I'll update this post.

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 30 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). She also is the cohost of the "Windows Weekly" podcast on the TWiT network.
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Disclosure

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.